How to keep bees for profit/Chapter 19

WHEN we speak of feeding bees we would
not be understood as advocating the
feeding of bees with sugar syrup in order to have
it stored in the combs and sold as honey, as
such a practice is dishonest, and certain to
bring the honey-producer into conflict with
the pure food laws; but rather that feeding
which from time to time is necessary, such as
feeding the bees to supply them with sufficient
stores to carry them over the winter, or to
stimulate brood-rearing in the early spring, or
when given to a hive to encourage them to rear
queens outside of the season of the natural
honey flow; and under these conditions feeding
is both legitimate and important.

Sometimes in the early spring, a colony or
two will be found to have come out of winter
quarters in a much-depleted condition, and
in order to encourage it to rear a lot of brood,
which it generally will not do until the natural
flow comes on, we feed it about a half pint of
syrup each day with remarkable results.
Some of the most successful beekeepers
even advocate feeding all colonies in the spring
for brood-rearing, but this is not at all necessary
the better plan is to see that each colony
goes into winter quarters with abundant stores,
more or less of w^hich will be present in the
hive with the coming of spring, as such stores
are the best for early brood-rearing without
resorting to stimulative methods.

Whether the feeding is to be done for early
brood-rearing, or for raising queens, or even
given in large quantities in the fall for winter
stores, the syrup should be the same, and is
made by thoroughly mixing equal parts of pure
granulated sugar and boiling water. If a large
quantity is to be made, it can be mixed up in
the extractor, first putting the boiling water in,
and pouring the sugar in while the baskets are
being whirled about.

It is possible to make the stimulating syrup
with a smaller proportion of sugar, but this
is no advantage, as the surplus water has to
be thrown off by evaporation, and by using
equal parts of sugar and water, we save the
bees that much extra work. Moreover, experiments
have proved to me that they seem
to prefer the thicker syrup at all times. In
every case the syrup should be given them
while it is hot, as they take it up more quickly.
Under no conditions should the mixture be
boiled on a stove, as there is danger of scorching
it, and this will work serious damage to the
bees in promoting dysentery and other intestinal
diseases, particularly where such syrup
is fed for winter stores.

There is no class of men given to invention as
much as are beekeepers. In regard to feeders,
especially, the number that has appeared from
time to time is enormous, and it is the purpose
of this chapter to call attention only to a
few that have stood the test of time.

A good feeder for stimulative feeding in
the spring is the Simplicity feeder. This is
nothing more than a long block of wood,
preferably basswood, that has been grooved
out to hold the feed; it is placed in an empty
super on the quilt or cloth that covers the
frames, and is of easy access to the bees providing
one corner of the cushion or cloth is
turned up for the purpose. The principal
things in favor of this feeder are that it is
cheap and puts the feed where the bees are
most likely to go for it overhead; but it
has the objection that it necessitates the lifting
of the cover from the tops of the frames,
with more or less loss of warmth from the
brood nest, and this at the time of the year
that it is most needed. It might be said,
however, that a large number of beekeepers
have used and continue to use it.

Another good feeder is the Alexander
feeder. This is built somewhat on the plan
of the Simplicity, but has the decided advantage
of being placed directly under the rear
end of the hive with a block covering the end
that projects beyond the hive, which is lifted
for filling, and, when put back, the little block
shuts off all entrance for robber bees. Another
thing in favor of the Alexander feeder
is that it does not require the opening of the
hive for filling, or the lifting up of the cushion
or cloth for the bees to get at the syrup, and
does away with loss of heat from the brood
nest.

The most serious objections to the Alexander
feeder are, first, that to use it requires
that the hive body shall be pushed back from
its entrance, and in stormy weather rain is
sure to run down the sides of the hive and
dilute the syrup, causing the feeder to overflow
on the ground and start up a first-class
case of robbing at the most unfavorable season
of the year.

Still another feeder is the Boardman, which
is nothing more than an ordinary quart jar,
filled with syrup, to which has been fitted a
perforated metal cap, fitting down securely
in a hollowed block of wood. This is shoved
in at one side of the hive entrance, and gives
the bees of the hive access to the feed,
at the same time excluding bees from other
colonies that show an inclination to rob.
One thing in favor of this feeder is that, the
jar being of glass and being in position outside
of the hive, the beekeeper can tell at a
glance just how rapidly the colony is taking
the feed, and will thus know how much to give
daily to each individual colony.
Experience has proved again and again
that an ideal feeder is one which places the
feed right over the cluster where it is naturally
found by a colony, and which does not permit
the escape of heat. There is no feeder on the
market that meets this requirement except
the Lyon feeder, invented by the author.
The following directions show how it should
be made.

Take two boards, J inch thick, and cut
them so that the two will just cover the brood
body of the hive. To secure the two boards,
tack some cleats, |- inch thick and as long as
required, to the top ends of the boards and
along its top sides, so that when all is nailed
you have a wooden cover that fits flush with
the outside sides of the hive.

Fill with syrup a one-quart or a two-quart
Hazel Atlas, or ordinary preserving-jar, and
cover it with a perforated metal cap with
rubber ring, procured from the bee supply
house, and it is ready to be placed in the
boarded cover. Place the metal cap in the
centre of the board top, and mark around it
with a lead pencil ; then with a compass
saw, saw a round piece of wood out of the
wooden cover. Nail a square piece of wood,
not over -J inch thick, to the round piece
that was cut out, having the square block
projecting an inch beyond the round block
to prevent its dropping through the hole
upon the frames when the jar is not being used.
When you are ready to feed, remove the lid
from the hive and place the feeding-board
over the brood nest. In the hole place the
inverted feeding-jar with metal cap screwed
tightly on, and on top of the feeding-board
place an empty hive body, and on top of this
place the lid of the hive.
When the jar needs refilling, it can be lifted
out of its hole and taken to the house, the
round wooden piece of wood being put back
in the hole, to prevent the bees from coming
up while the jar is being refilled, and when
filled the jar can be set in place again. A
little time can be saved by filling another jar
and placing it immediately in the hole at the
time the empty o^e is taken out, and when the
feeding is all over, whether for stimulating
brood or for giving winter stores, the wooden
block can be placed in the hole, and the feeder
board left where it is as a permanent cover
to the brood frames, the extra body removed,
and the lid of the hive placed upon the feeder
board.

These feeder boards have the advantage of
being used as a permanent cover underneath
the hive lid the year round, and whenever the
colony needs feeding it can be changed to a
feeding-board in a second by simply removing
the round block from its hole, and inserting the
jar in its place. This does away with many
extra fixtures, and permits feeding in small or
large amounts without escape of heat from the
colony, or opening of the brood nest either
above or below.

I prefer a half-gallon Hazel Atlas jar, as a
little feed can be given in them for early broodrearing,
and when it comes to heavy feeding
for winter, a large quantity can be given each
time with the use of but one jar. I have used
these feeders for years. They never fail to
serve the purpose. They are better than
any feeders that I have seen, and are readily
made out of old boards, boxes, or other
material at hand.
The Doolittle Division board feeder is
made the size of a brood frame and is placed
in the centre or at one side of the brood nest,
but as the use of this feeder necessitates the
opening of the hive every time it is filled, and
when filled many bees are likely to be drowned,
I, personally, have never found it so satisfactory
as some others.

Whatever feeder is used, the colony fed for
early brood-rearing should be given toward
evening about half a pint of hot syrup, and
if the amount given is more than the bees
will take up during the night, the quantity
should be accordingly reduced. The feeding
should be discontinued as soon as a regular
flow begins to come in from natural sources,
and the feeders stored away, though in the
case of the Lyon feeder only the glass jars
are taken away, as the feeding-board remains
as a cover for the frames beneath the hive lid.
In feeding for winter stores the standard
feeder for years was the Miller feeder, a large
water-tight box with two compartments so
arranged that the bees have access to the feed
through a wire screen and are thus in no
serious danger of being drowned. This
feeder will hold as much as twenty-five pounds
of syrup, and is placed in an empty comb
honey super on top of the brood frames.

Honesty compels me to say the Lyon
feeder is equally as effective, though it may
require the refilling of the half-gallon jars
a couple of times, to give the required
amount for winter stores ; and, unlike others,
there is no pouring and splashing of feed
outdoors, and no bees can possibly crowd up
around the feeder and get drowned in the
syrup as hundreds of bees often do in other
feeders in spite of careful packing of cloths
around them.

It is generally conceded that September
is the best time to feed for winter stores, as
the bees will take the feed much quicker than
later on; but if there is a prolonged flow
from the late fall bloom, we often sacrifice a
lot of syrup in feeding, as many a light colony
will secure from late flowers, even after September,
sufficient honey for successful wintering.
Bees will seldom take down feed in
bitter cold weather when other feeders are
used, and in this respect the Lyon feeder excels
them all.

Even in freezing weather it is possible to
place a Lyon feeder in place and fill the super
brood body around it with planer shavings.
The feed will keep warm a surprisingly long
time, and even through the winter can, from
time to time, be replenished, as the packing
will keep it from getting too cold. Being
right over the brood nest, the bees can get it
without leaving the cluster, and will go through
the winter depending on it entirely, whereas
with other feeders they will starve with chilled
feed near them.

Every colony to be wintered in the cellar
should have at least fifteen pounds of stores,
and if honey to this amount is not present, it
should be supplemented to that quantity by
syrup.

Where bees are to be wintered outdoors
there should be about twenty-five pounds of
stores present. One can, by lifting the back
end of the hive tell by the weight of it, if it
is well supplied with winter stores; and even
though a colony is short, there will be more or
less honey present, and only a little additional
syrup will be necessary.

Feeding is only necessary where we have
used the extractor too freely or where the
colony has not gathered enough, and there are
many seasons when the bees do so well that
feeding will not be required. Be careful in
feeding not to splash any feed about, or robbers
may defeat the very end you have in view in
feeding; so, for this reason, it is best to defer
feeding until late in the day, and to contract
the entrances of the hives being fed. I
would not advocate the open outdoor method
as tried by some, which consists in pouring
a large quantity of feed in an open trough,
as it is open to the objections that robbing is
likely to be encouraged ; hives that do not need
feeding will get a goodly share of it; you may
be feeding bees from hives not your own; and,
to say the least, it is an expensive and uncertain
method.

Better give to each colony individual treatment,
and then you will have the satisfaction of knowing that it is getting just the
amount it requires, and there will be no
danger of feeding all the bees in the neighborhood.